Apparatus for printing in colors.



W. M. TEMPLE.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING IN COLORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1911.

1,041,1 93. Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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Attorneys.

' W. M. TEMPLE.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING IN COLORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1911.

I,O41,1 93, Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

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Attorneys.

coLuMmA PLANOKIRAI'H 60., WAS NNNNNNNNNNN C4 WILLARD M. TEMPLE, 0F MASONCITY, IOWA.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING IN COLORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

Application filed January 25, 1911. Serial No. 604,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD M. TEMPLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mason City, in the count-y of Cerro Gordo and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Printing in Colors, ofwhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a novel method of printing in colorsand the apparatus for carrying out the method.

Mechanism herebefore designed for printing in colors has been socomplicated that its embodiment in a small press such as is ordinarilyused for job work, involves such expense as to render such embodimentimpracticable. It is therefore one aim of the present invention toprovide a multicolor printing mechanism which may be readily embodied inthe structure of a small press and may furthermore be attached topractically any small or medium sized press now in general use, withoutany material alterations being made in the structure of the pressitself.

The present invention relates more par ticularly to the inking mechanismfor a multi-color printing apparatus and it contemplates the use of theordinary inking mechanism of the press for applying ink of one color toa portion of the printing surface or form, and a separate and distinctink applying .medium for the remaining portion of the form. This latterink applying medium is preferably in the nature of an inked ribbon orsheet of sufficient width to extend across that portion of the form orprinting surface not inked by the ordinary mechanism of the press, meansbeing provided for advancing this inked ribbon or sheet across the formto present successive fresh portions to the printing surface.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the inventioncontemplates that an ink of one color is to be applied to a portion ofthe form or printing surface by the ordinary inking mechanism of thepress and that ink of another color is to be applied to the otherportion of the form or printing surface by the inking mecha nismembodying the present invention' The invention further contemplates thatseveral strips or sheets of ribbon or like woven material, inked indifferent colors, may be employed whereby more than two colors may beprinted at each operation of the press, if desired.

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1 is a side elevation of a press of awell known type, the inking mechanism embodying the present inventionbeing shown embodied in the structure thereof. Fig. 2 is a view in frontelevation of the inking mechanism, a portion of the press being alsoillustrated diagrammatically. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1illustrating another manner in which the inking mechanism may beembodied in the press. Fig. 4; is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustratingthis modification of the inking mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detailed view inelevation of a portion of the ribbon feed mechanism.

In the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates the body frame of the press, 6the oscillatory frame which is mounted to rock upon the body frame andcarries at its upper ends the bed 7 and inking plate 8. This frame 6also carries the usual oscillatory carriage 9 supporting the inkingrollers 10. Mounted upon the body frame 5 is the usual platen 11 towardwhich the frame 6 is oscillated at each impression made by the press.

By referring to the several figures of the drawings and moreparticularly to Fig. 2 thereof, it will be observed that the inkingrollers 10 do not extend entirely across the front of the carriage 9 butare cut away so that in their movement across the bed or form, they willtraverse but a portion of the printing surface of the form and, while inthe instance in the form of the invention shown in the drawings, it isthe intermediate portion of the rollers which are cut away so that, ineffect, a relatively short inking roller is carried at each end of eachroller spindle, one of these rollers being indicated specifically by thereference numeral 10 and the other by the reference numeral 10", therollers 10 or the rollers 10 may be dispensed with and may be lengthenedor shortened in accordance with the area to be inked thereby. At thispoint it will be readily understood that but a portion of the printingsurface of the form is to be inked by the rollers and the inking plates8, the remaining portion of the form being supplied with ink by themechanism embodying the present invention.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, aframe ineluding side members 12 which are spaced and parallel, andspindles 13 and 14 which are ournaled at their ends in the upper andlower ends of the spaced members 1.2, is provided for supporting theinking mechanism proper of the present invention. This frame is mountedupon the press by securing the side members 12 to the upper end of theoscillatory frame 6 immediately rearwardly of the bed 7. With the frameso mounted, the upper ends of its portion 12 will be located immediatelyrearwardly of the adjacent upper corners of the bed 7, and, the.

lower ends of these portions will be similarly located with respect tothe lower corners of the bed. Collars 15 are secured upon each spindle13 and 14 near the ends thereof and arranged upon each spindle betweeneach collar thereon and the adjacent ends of the adjacent member 12, isa spring 16 designed by its tension, to retard the rotative movement ofthe respective spindles. Secured upon the spindle 13 at one end thereofand outwardly of the adjacent frame member 12, is a ratchet 17 and anarm 18 is pivotally connected at one end to the said end of the spindleoutwardly of the ratchet and is arranged to oscillate upon the spindle.This arm 18 carries a pawl 19 which cooperates with the teeth of theratchet and is held in proper engagement therewith by a spring 20connected to the pawl and to the arm. A. spring 21 is also connected tothe arm at the free end thereof and to the body frame 5 of the press.This spring 21 tends to pull the arm to the right in Fig. 1 of thedrawings and will consequently return it to normal position in thisdirection after it has been moved toward the left in the said figure.Movement of the arm toward the left is accomplished by a chain or otherflexible connection 22 secured at one end to the free end of the arm andat its other end to the body frame 5, preferably at a point immediatelybelow the lower edge of the platen 11. At this point it will be readilyunderstood that as the frame 6 rocks rearwardly or in other words towardthe right in Fig. 1 of the drawings, a pull will be exerted by the chain22 upon the arm 18 and this arm will be swung forwardly or in otherwords to the left in Fig. 1 of the drawings thereby imparting, throughthe medium of the ratchet 17 and pawl 19, rotation to the spindle 13.For a purpose to be presently explained, the arm 18 is formed with anopening 23 and the pawl 19 is formed with an opening 24, and a pin 25 isremovably inserted in the opening 23 and designed also to engage in theopening 24 when the pawl is swung back out of engagement with theratchet 17, the pin serving as a means for holding the pawl out of suchengagement.

Secured to that end of the spindle 14 corresponding to the end of thespindle 13 upon which the ratchet 17 is secured, is a similar ratchet 26and an arm 27 is also pivoted to this end of the spindle 14 and carriesa pawl 28 which is held in cooperative engagement with the ratchet 26 bya spring 29. A spring 30 is connected to the free end of the arm 27 andto the under side of the head which supports the inking plate 8 and thisspring normally tends to swing the arm upwardly (see Fig. 1 of thedrawings) and the arm is arranged to be lowered, intermittently, throughthe medium of a chain or other flexible connection 31 secured to itsfree end and as at i 32 to the rear end of the carriage 9 for the inkingrollers. This arm 27 is formed with an opening 33 corresponding to theopening 23 in the arm 18, and similarly, the pawl 28 is formed with anopening 34 corresponding to the opening 24 heretofore referred to. Also,there is provided a pin 35 which is removably inserted in the opening 33and clesigned to engage in the opening 34 in order to pull the pawl outof cooperative engagement with the ratchet under conditions to bepresently explained.

From the above, it will be readily understood that as the rear end ofthe carriage 9 springs downwardly, at which time the inking rollers 10will be moving across the plate 8, a pull will be exerted upon the chain31 resulting in the arm 27 being swung downwardly and rotary movementimparted to the spindle 14. An inked ribbon or sheet 36 of considerablelength is secured at its end to the spindle and wound thereon and itwill be readily understood that by throwing one or the other of thepawls 19 and 28 out of engagement with its respective ratchet, theribbon or sheet 36 may be wound, by the intermittent rotation of theother spindle, thereon.

By referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be observed that theribbon or sheet passes vertically across the bed 7 and more specificallythe print-ing surface of the form thereon. It will also be understood,in this connection, that owing to the intermittent rotative movementimparted to one spindle or the other, the strip or sheet will beadvanced in a step-by-step manner across the said printing surface ofthe form. The spring 16 retards the rotative movement of the spindles 13and 14 as above stated and consequently holds the ribbon or sheet taut.

By referring to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be observed that theribbon or sheet is of such width as to extend over that portion of theform which is not supplied with ink by the rollers 10 and 10 From theforegoing it will be apparent that ink of one color or character isapplied to a portion of the form by the rollers 10 and 10 and that inkof another color or character is applied to the ribbon or sheet 36 andthat an impression is made by the other portion of the rinting surfaceof the form, through this ri bon or sheet, onto the paper or othermaterial disposed upon the platen 11. Thus, at each operation of thepress, an impression in two colors will be made upon the paper or othermaterial carried by the platen.

It will be observed further that, supposing the ribbon or sheet 36 to besubstantially completely wound upon the spindle 13, the pawl 19 is swungback out of engagement with the ratchet 17 and operation of the presswill then result in the pawl 28 imparting intermittent rotary movementto the spindle 1 1 to wind the ribbon or sheet thereon. When nearly allof the ribbon or sheet has been wound upon the spindle 14, the pawl 28is disengaged from the ratchet and the pawl 19 is operatively engagedwith the ratchet 17 whereupon this travel of the ribbon or sheet will bereversed.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, theframe of the device includes spaced frame members 12 corresponding tothe members 12 of the frame illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawingsand these members are connected by a cross bar 37 which is bolted orotherwise secured to the gripper bar 38 of the press, the frame beingsupported for oscillation with this bar, in this form of the invention,instead of being supported upon the oscillatory frame 6 as in thepreviously described form. Also, in the form of the invention shown inFigs. 3 and 1 of the drawings, the ratchet 26, arm 27, pawl 28, and theparts related thereto, are omitted and the chain from the arm 18 isconnected to the body frame 5 as in the former instance, it beingobserved that as the frame including the members 12- and cross bar 37,rocks forwardly, or in other words away from the form or bed 7, the arm18 will be swung downwardly, thereby imparting rotary movement to thespindle 13. hen the ribbon or inked sheet has been nearly completelywound upon the spindle 13, in this latter form of the invention, thepawl is to be disengaged from the ratchet and the ribbon then rewoundupon the spindle 14.

WVhat is claiired is:

1. In a printing apparatus, a bed, a platen,an oscillatory frame, aninking roller mounted therein and arranged to travel over a portion ofthe bed of predetermined dimensions, a traveling inked sheet arrangedbetween the platen, and the other portion of the bed which is notaffected by the inking roller, and means operatively connected with theoscillatory frame for imparting movement to the traveling sheet.

2. In a printing apparatus, a bed a platen, an oscillatory frame, aninking roller mounted in the frame and arranged to travel over a portionof the bed of predetermined dimensions, rollers arranged at oppositesides of the bed, an inked sheet wound upon the rollers and arranged totravel across the other portion of the bed which is not af fected by theinking roller, and means operatively connected with the oscillatoryframe, for imparting movement to one of the rollers.

33. In a printing apparatus, a bed, a platen, an oscillatory frame, aninking roller mounted in the frame, the said roller being arranged totravel over a portion of the bed, rollers mounted at opposite sides ofthe bed of predetermined dimensions, an inked sheet wound upon therollers and arranged to travel over the other portion of the bedunaffected by the inking roller, and means actuated by the oscillatoryframe for imparting step-by-step rotative movement to one of therollers.

1. In a printing apparatus, a bed, a platen, an inking roller arrangedto travel over a portion of the bed of predetermined dimensions, anoscillatory frame in which the roller is mounted, rollers mounted atopposite sides of the bed, a ratchet carried by one roller, an inkedsheet wound upon the other roller and arranged to travel over theportion of the bed unaffected by the inking roller, an arm at one end ofthe ratchet carrying roller, a pawl carried by the arm, and flexibleconnection between the arm and the oscillatory frame for impartingintermittent movement to the arm.

5. In a printing apparatus, a bed, a platen, an inking roller arrangedto travel over a portion of the bed of predetermined dimensions, amoving carrier for the roller, an inked sheet arranged between theplaten and the portion of the bed unaffected by the inking roller andarranged for travel, and means operatively connected with the movingcarrier for the roller to move the sheet.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLARD M. TEMPLE.

Vitnesses:

E. M. WILSON, L. M. LovIN.

Copi s of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

